


wolves to witches

by lovemutt



Series: hidden stories from a hidden life [1]
Category: Personal Universe, Urban Fantasy - Fandom
Genre: Familiars, Gen, I wanted to post this somewhere leave me ALONE, Rape Recovery, Recovery, Urban Fantasy, Urban fantasy is good, Werewolves, Werewolves become witches try and stop me, witch mom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-06-16 05:11:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19639429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovemutt/pseuds/lovemutt
Summary: A lot happened to Alice over the years. All for the better.





	wolves to witches

**Author's Note:**

> personal universe. This was a starter for an RP that wasn't appreciated enough and I still like it so here it is.

A lot had happened to Alice in the past two years, all for the better. 

It all started when she woke up in a woman's garden after a full moon. She barely remembered what her wolf was up to, it felt like it always did—like a dream, hazy, blurry, but she remembered eating a rabbit and her stomach churned at the memory of the texture. It took her a nearly a minute to realize she wasn't in the warehouse she usually tried to keep herself in, and then the panic set in. Being naked in a place you don't know is pretty jarring, of course, but imagine Alice's surprise when a pair of furry ears popped up over a garden plot near her before a bunny appeared. And then spoke. With its mouth. 

It was rough, to say the least, but after the panic the little rabbit ran inside to get 'Miss'. A woman that was best described as small and round and older than Alice came striding out with a robe draped over her arm and a glass of water in her hand. She knelt down near Alice, face soft but with intent, and handed Alice the robe and the water. Alice had heard about her, though vaguely and in passing. The witch in the woods, leading travelers home for centuries. She never believed it 

They were quick friends after that. Alice can't even begin to describe the weeks she spent there, and she can't remember why she decided to stay in the first place, but she couldn't be happier that she did. The woman was named Wendy, and happily told Alice she was a witch and had seen her wolfself in the garden the night before, somehow getting passed the wolfsbane circle only to get stuck within it. She said she calmed it, let it sleep, and had waited for Alice to wake up. Even as a wolf, as something angry and scared and vicious, Wendy showed kindness, and maybe that's why Alice decided to stay. 

No one showed her kindness, not like that. So she found herself tending the garden with the woman, talking about anything and everything she could think about. When Alice had a nightmare, Wendy woke her up and handed her a necklace with a sigil on it, 'for the dreams' she said, patting Alice's hand, 'it'll keep them away' she cooed. When Alice found herself telling the woman more and more and more about everything that happened, she just held her hand and smiled and nodded. Alice always thought that if she were to tell someone what happened, if she anyone knew, they'd look at her like she looked at herself. Disgusted. Pitiful. 

But Wendy just smiled. And after Alice had choked on her tears and sobbed hard enough she threw up twice, Wendy just patted her back and said that it was okay. It didn't help at first, but over time the little 'it's all okay’s that were dropped when Alice seemed upset actually started to sound like they had truth to them. So, she stopped talking about the bad, realizing that while it was the hardest thing she would ever talk about, maybe she shouldn't do that to herself. 

So she tried to avoid it at first, asking Wendy about her life instead, and Wendy obliged. She told Alice she was the witch in the woods people talked about, but she wasn't the original, don't be silly! The story was old, older than the both of them combined, but the title was handed down to whoever lived there with the previous one decided to retire. The job was easy, Wendy said, take care of the woods, make sure the trees are happy, and lead anyone lost home safe and sound. She grinned at Alice as she stirred her tea, her next words as funny to Alice as they seemed to be to her, 'And, I suppose, taking care of any naked werewolves you find in your garden.' 

Avoiding the topic didn't work after a day or so, so Alice decided to bite the bullet and do what she suddenly realized she was scared of—not focus on the bad in her life. The bad was all she knew for so, so long, and it was scary, but she persisted. She talked, about her family, about her pack, about her running away. She told the woman about the funny nights in jail she had, about Aiko down at the bar, and she didn't stop talking until it was night and all the chores were done. It felt like so many weights had been lifted from her, like she could breath for the first time since she was fifteen and staring that hunter in the face. So she stayed even longer, and a few weeks turned into a few months, and before she knew it Alice was doodling her own little sigils and Wendy was showing her how to channel magic just right. 

Monster hunting was made illegal at some point, but Alice didn't even notice because for the first time life wasn't about her being a victim, or a werewolf, or monster. Once she managed to get into town and to Aiko's bar, she was filled in on it all. There were apparently minor issues like you'd expect, but it all went as good as it could have. Minor issues like assault, but people were able to walk around freely. Alice told Wendy when she got home, and Wendy just puffed her chest out and smiled happily, saying 'well, it's about time!' 

The day the woman looked at her with a bright smile and said, 'Well, miss Alice, it seems you're a witch!' was truly the best day of Alice's life. Alice spent so long doing research, and eventually she was officially registered with the governing coven in the area as a witch. An actual witch. Preteen Alice would have been so proud of her. Grown up Alice was pretty proud herself. 

It wasn't long after when Alice found the goat on the streets during her visit to the city (and the bar, just because she was healthier doesn't mean she didn't like a beer now and then). She was baffled as to why a goat would be there until it spoke just like Wendy's familiar, Briar, and the realization dawned on her quickly. She scooped it up as quickly as she could, rushing back home as he made soft noises of confusion in her arms. 

She spent hours fawning over him back at the house, giving him a bath and feeding him everything she could. Wendy told her he couldn't transfer into a human form like Briar could, said he was too weak and probably found Alice because he could feel her magic. He perked up after a few days, explaining how his witch abandoned him and he just thought Alice could be trusted. It just got better from there, and before Alice knew it she had her own house in the woods, and a little sign out front. 

'Flowergrove House' 

Dumb name, but it was hers, and before she knew it familiars from all around were bouncing around her house. The governing coven had gotten wind of her and started sending any orphaned familiars, young and old, to her. 

Yes, so much had happened in such little time, and Alice can't stop thinking about it as she sat in the bar, truly only intending to drink one beer and then continue her errands. Orion could be heard behind her, his hooves beating off the floor as he explored and talked to people. He told her he wanted to stay with her and be her familiar now, and Alice was more than happy to agree—They couldn't get his connection with his original witch severed unless they found her, but Alice made him plenty of magical items to help him cope and give him the abilities of his familiar friends. There was a small 'poof' and Alice's hair fluttered slightly as Orion transformed into his human form, landing in the seat next to her and getting comfortable as he kicked his legs. 

He was still obviously a child, but Alice figured no one would argue with a witch bringing her familiar into a bar, Aiko sure didn't. Her eyes dragged up to the dryad behind the bar, who was currently tending to her treeself, checking the branches and the soil before she turned to see Alice staring and smiling. Alice felt her face flush, but smiled back. 

A lot had changed. Alice was just as easily flustered as she was as a preteen, and she couldn't tell if she like it or not... Who would like crushing on any cute person that talked to them? 

Orion said something, but noticed Alice wasn't paying attention, so he tugged her shirt sleeve. She was wearing a pink shirt that said '#1 MOM' in white letters, a gift from Orion on her birthday. Her eyes turned to him and she smiled sweetly at him. 

"Your being looked at." Orion said, his voice low enough that only Alice could hear. Two years ago, that would have made anxiety flare in her chest, and she probably would have started a fight. Now she didn't care. She thought it was weird, but felt no threat, turning to look where Orion was and spotting a man who glanced at her on and off. 

He looked... familiar. She had seen him somewhere, but where was it? In the bar before? No, he wouldn't be so interested... At a coven meeting? No, he didn't feel magical... She decided to ask, standing up from her seat and leaving a half-empty beer in her spot as Orion looked on. She was by the man quickly, smiling and leaning against the bar. "Do I know you?" She asked him, cocking her head to the side, "My kid said you were lookin', I'm just curious." 

There was a silence, and the man looked a little flustered. 

"I don't know, you look familiar." He replied, and Alice pursed her lips. 

"Hm, that is odd, isn't it?" She asked him, clicking her tongue before taking a seat next to him, "Alright, we have to find out then, he won't let me just leave it be." She said, nodding her head towards Orion across the bar. 

And they talked. They couldn't figure out how they knew each other, and Alice even considered bringing up the hunters until he said it—the name of a laundry mat. Suddenly, she remembered him very clearly, and she wasn't sure he wanted to hear how she described him in her mind. 

Two years ago, at one of her worst points in life, she was in a laundry mat at night, curled up and reading some old magazine while she waited out the rain. She had managed to get a cheap apartment in the city after she set up a very illegal business of blackmailing, and some hunter came in after her and backed off once this guy showed up, saying he was a vampire or something. 

Alice was instantly freaked out by him, scowling at him when he tried to befriend her after. When she got home later, after the rain, and found her door open and her place ransacked, she just walked out and got on a bus, not getting off until she in the city they were in now. 

"You were that creepy guy, at the laundromat." Alice said bluntly, seeming to be embarrassed soon after and blushing, "I mean—Well, you know, everyone's creepy in a laundry mat--! But, two years ago, you were--!" She stumbled over her words, before she just smiled, "We met in a laundromat two years ago. A hunter tried coming after me and you shooed them off. Thanks for that." She said, getting up soon after, "So, now we know." 

The man looked confused before he remembered as well.


End file.
